A Family Physician on How to Connect Patients to Mental Health Resources in the Community

Primary care clinicians play a critical role in bridging patients to mental health services, particularly in times of crisis. Familiarity with available resources—whether a local hospital crisis team, a mental health facility with walk-in hours, or nearby community programs—can make the difference in ensuring timely, effective support. In the video above, family physician Teresa Lovins, MD, shares how she navigates community resources in her practice to connect patients quickly and safely to the help they need. Dr Lovins is also the owner of Lovin My Health DPC, in Columbus, Indiana.

The following transcript has been lightly edited for style and flow.

Patient Care®: What are the most essential resources in the community and in the health care community that family physicians should make sure they have links to or are partnered with?

Teresa Lovins, MD: Oh, absolutely. In each community where there’s a hospital, there’s access to a crisis team to help—that would be the extreme. In some communities, there are mental health facilities that have walk-in hours where patients can get care. It’s very important to know what’s in your community and where to find that for your patients.

Make it an easy step for them so that if they need help, you can foster that and get them where they need to be. In my community, it’s as simple as a phone call. If the patient needs to be seen right away, they’re seen right away. If they need to go to the hospital to be in a safe place, they can do that too. These resources are available in many communities, and if not directly in your own, often in a nearby community.